Perhaps it was a chair that fitted you so perfectly it molded to your every contour, cossetted every curve and pampered every part of your weary body?

I’m just curious, because I reckon I’ve tasted the ultimate in luxury seating. The Rolls-Royce of seats in fact.

That generic, throwaway line isn’t accidental… The way Hoover became a household verb for the act of sucking detritus from your Axminster is a case in point.

Anything class-leading, at the top of its game or which sets an example for everything else to follow, be it ice cream or face cream, is know as the RollsRoyce of (insert appropriate specialist field).

JAMES LIPMAN

Rolls-Royce Phantom Price: From £360,000

“You’ve got to pay attention when Rolls-Royce reveal a new flagship”

So you’ve got to pay attention when Rolls-Royce reveal a new flagship – a new Phantom. The Phantom series eight.

This, after all, is the Rolls-Royce of all Rolls-Royces. That accolade takes some beating, doesn’t it? It’s the pinnacle of all pinnacles in consumer terms.

The poshest of the posh (David Beckham’s better half excluded, obviously). I’ll come back to the chairs, sorry, seats, in a minute as there’s a tad more to consider first.

It’s not about saving weight, though, it’s about rigidity. This new platform is a claimed 30% stiffer than the previous model’s.

That’s a great basis for handling and safety but the crucial point about the new Phantom is the NVH – that ugly industry acronym for Noise, Vibration and Harshness. Roughly translated, it’s the stuff you feel and hear when you’re inside a car while it’s moving along a road.

The Phantom series eight, I can tell you, sets a new NVH Rolls-Royce standard. On 21-in wheels and tyres (22s are available) it is most definitely the quietest, smoothest car I’ve ever driven or been driven in.

Sit in the back and your driver or front seat passenger doesn’t stand a chance of talking about you without you hearing every word.

It doesn’t matter if you’re travelling at 100mph and they’re whispering, the clarity of sound is almost unnerving.

You’re hearing everything…except what’s happening outside. The back seat (electronically adjustable, re-clineable and featuring a proper back and buttock massage facility) is the most likely position for a Phantom customer to adopt.

JAMES LIPMAN

Rolls-Royce Phantom 0-62(mph): 5.1 secs

Well, that’s what chauffeurs are for isn’t it? With its night-sky LED headlining, baby-bottom-soft headrest cushions and acreage of hand-stitched leather and hardwood veneers this is the best seat in the house.

Fancy some champagne? The central armrest features a refrigerated cooler and cut-glass stowage.

It’s why you’ve hired a full-time driver, after all. Dom Pérignon dearth excepted, the driver’s not exactly having a hard time of it. And that’s an understatement.

With a near seven-litre, twin-turbo V12 under their right foot, and first-touch brake feel that transcends normal description, it’s an absolute cinch to make rapid progress appear as easy and unruffled as pouring sieved double cream over the back of a warmed silver spoon.

A huge 900Nm of torque, available from a smidgen over idle speed, and impeccable steering feel make light work of the near three-tonne heft carried atop the air suspension.

Four-wheel steering magically shortens the feel of this enormous car. But it’s not about agility, it’s about effortless wafting in almost uncanny, electric car silence. And for its size it’s almost comically fast – just check out the 0-62 time and consider its weight.

Whichever chair you choose, be it in the back, the front or the one with the steering wheel, the new series eight Phantom will undoubtedly offer the best seat around.

It’s just a shame we won’t all get the chance to try the most comfortable seats you’ve (n)ever sat in… Keep doing those jackpot numbers.

London's SUPERCAR silly season begins!

As Summer continues, so does the influx of super-rich middle eastern businessmen into Britain's capital city. Wealthy oligarchs and their families come to the UK and bring their ultra-bling supercars with them. This bevy beautiful motors was spotted outside London's exclusive Dorchester Hotel